The
Psychology Of Criminal Predators.
Understand
how criminal predators think. Why do some
criminals want to harm you? For many, it's a sense of power. Often, their
control over you during a rape or attack is in direct response to the
shortcomings in other areas of their lives. The NRA Refuse To Be A Victim Course
teaches precautions you should take to avoid criminals' predators and what steps
to take should you come in contact with one.
Home
Security.
1.
Consider installing a home
security system. A home alarm can be an effective
deterrent to criminal intruders. A variety of systems are available, ranging
from inexpensive, battery operated door models to monitored, motion detecting
systems costing several thousands of dollars.
2.
Never open your door to a
stranger. Criminals
can get a good look at you and your home by posing as a door-to-door
salesperson, a neighbor who has lost a pet, or a floral deliverer at the wrong
address.
3.
Install
a wide-angle
door viewer. These
are an inexpensive aid for identifying people at your doorstep. If children are
allowed to open the door under certain circumstances, install a second viewer at
your child's height.
4.
Never tell a stranger that you
are home alone. If they ask for your husband or the man
of the house, tell them he is taking a nap and cannot be disturbed.
5.
Do not broadcast your plans in
public where others can overhear. Burglars can use this
information to determine whether your home might be an easy target in your
absence.
6.
Keep your house or apartment
well lit, Use
exterior sensory night-lights and interior lights plugged into timers to create
the illusion of an occupied home at all times.
7.
Do not leave windows open or
uncovered. Prevent
casual observers from looking directly into your home. During the day, draw
drapes or position blinds to allow only enough light for plants. At night, cover
your windows completely.
8.
Keep trees and shrubbery around
your home well trimmed. Overgrown bushes and trees often
provide excellent hiding places for criminals.
9.
Plant "defensive"
shrubbery around your home, especially beneath windows. Bushes
that feature thorns or stiff, spiky leaves are not good hiding places for
criminals.
10.
When
moving into a house or apartment, always change or re-key
the locks or have the tumblers reset. Otherwise,
the previous resident - and anyone they supplied keys to - has unrestricted
access to your home,
11.
Never hide an extra key under a
mat, in a flowerpot, or in any other easily accessible place. Criminals
know all the hiding places.
Phone Security
12.
Lock your doors when working in
your yard, attic, laundry room, or any place away from your home's entry areas. While
you are busy elsewhere, burglars could easily enter your home unnoticed.
13.
Do not give information to
strangers on the telephone. Thieves often target homes using
information obtained from "telephone surveys."
14.
If you use an answering machine,
do not announce your name and number as part of the message. Avoid
giving criminals any information about you. A common mistake is revealing your
exact whereabouts in a message.
15.
Consider keeping a separate line
or cellular phone as a security device. Taking one
phone off the hook renders other units on that line inoperable. Using a separate
line or cellular phone in your bedroom is a good precaution.
16.
Never give important information
like travel plans or credit card numbers using a cellular phone. For
under one hundred dollars, anyone can buy scanning equipment and listen in on
your cellular phone conversations.
Automobile Security
17.
Always have your keys out and
ready before leaving a building to approach your car. Fumbling
through your purse for keys after you've reached your car provides criminals an
excellent opportunity to sneak up on you.
18.
Look around and in your car
before entering. If you are concerned for any reason,
simply walk past your car instead of getting into it.
19.
Use
a two-piece
key ring with your car keys separate from your other important keys. Give
parking valets or mechanics your car keys only. Supplying your entire set of
keys creates an opportunity for duplicates to be made.
20.
If your vehicle has tinted
windows, use the reflection to scan the area to either side and behind you. By
being alert to your surroundings you could avoid a potentially dangerous
situation.
21.
Lock your car door immediately
after entering the vehicle. Make this your first action -
even before putting the key into the ignition.
22.
Check your surroundings before
getting out of your car. If something or someone strikes
you as out of place or threatening, drive away.
23.
If you are involved in an
accident, stay in your car until police arrive. In minor
accidents where the other driver suggests you exchange insurance information,
simply hold up your driver license and insurance card against the window.
24.
Consider acquiring a cellular
phone. Using
a cellular phone is an effective means of keeping help close at hand during
accidents, breakdowns, or other roadside emergencies.
25.
If you are accosted in a parking
lot, away from your own vehicle, consider rolling underneath a nearby auto. It
is difficult to force anyone out from under a car.
26.
Make a practice of filling up
your vehicle when your gas tank is about half empty. Never
let it get so low that you are forced to stop for fuel, particularly at night in
an area with which you are unfamiliar.
27.
Lock your car and take your keys
when you get out to pump gas. Leaving the door unlocked and
the keys in the ignition invites a carjacking.
28.
Never pick up hitchhikers. It
is never safe to have a stranger in your car.
Physical Security
29.
Maintain your personal space. Stay
alert! If a person moves inside your comfort zone, move away. If that person
persists, run.
30.
Be alert when leaving stores or
shopping malls. This is a time when criminals know you
are carrying cash, checkbooks, credit cards, or valuable merchandise.
31.
Don't use outside ATMs at night,
or in unfamiliar or unsafe surroundings. This is
another time when criminals know you are carrying cash.
32.
Avoid filling your arms with
packages. You
might have to make more trips, but keep one arm and hand free whenever possible.
33.
Avoid stairwells in parking
garages. Try
walking down the auto ramp instead. As long as you watch for cars, the ramp is
much safer.
34.
When on the street, walk facing
oncoming traffic. A person walking with traffic can be followed, forced into a car, and abducted more
easily than a person walking against traffic.
35.
If asked for directions by a
driver, stay far enough away from the car that you can turn and run easily. An
alternative is to simply state, "I don't know" and keep walking.
36.
When friends drop you off at
home or work, ask them to wait until you are safely inside before leaving. Extend
this courtesy to your own friends when driving them to a destination.
37.
If you are on an elevator and
someone threatening gets on, quickly step off the elevator. Otherwise,
press several buttons for upcoming floors and get off at your first opportunity.
(Do not press the STOP button.)
38.
Approach with extreme caution
any entryway where normal lighting is not functioning. Removing,
unscrewing, or breaking bulbs in such places is a common tactic of criminals.
39.
Carry several dollar bills
folded inside a ten-dollar bill. If accosted in a robbery, you
can throw the "chump change" several feet away and the robber may
scramble after it, allowing you a few moments to escape.
Self-Defense Physical Training
40.
Consider
taking a self-defense
course. A
wide variety of courses are offered for self-defense and each should be
considered carefully for relevance to your own personal situation. The NRA
Refuse To Be A Victim Course discusses the pros and cons of many training
options.
Personal Protection Devices
41.
Choose a personal protection
device best suited to your situation. Personal protection devices
range from sophisticated alarms for your home and car to defensive sprays and
key chains you can carry in your purse. Options and the advantages and
disadvantages of each are discussed in detail in the NRA Refuse To Be A Victim
Course.
Firearms,
A Personal Choice
42.
Make an informed choice about
firearm ownership. Firearm ownership is a deeply personal
and profound decision. NRA does not promote firearm ownership. We only advocate
your constitutional right to choose whether to lawfully own a gun. For women who
do choose to exercise that right, NRA offers information on the pros and cons of
ownership, types of firearms, legal issues, and education and training for
responsible use and safe storage of firearms with children in the home.